Our new web technology for Enterprise Imaging unleashes true remote diagnostic imaging workflows, going beyond image access to enable you to truly do your work wherever and whenever you want.
Paul Lipton, Manager of Product Management, and Peter Wilkop, Director Global Product Marketing, Agfa HealthCare, present the new web technology for Enterprise Imaging.
What’s holding you back from doing your diagnostic imaging tasks wherever you are?
Till now, it’s been the technology: both hardware and software. To access your images and tools, software had to be installed on specific workstations. To view digital images for diagnosis, you needed ‘medical-grade’ monitors. Well, monitors have certainly evolved: today you can get a 4K monitor for your home with higher resolution than is required for a medical monitor! And the technology that could support true remote diagnostic imaging workflows has come a long way, too.
Introducing the new web technology for Enterprise Imaging
Since 2010, you’ve been able to access images whenever/wherever, with our award-winning XERO zero footprint technology.
Now, our new web technology for Enterprise Imaging unleashes true remote diagnostic imaging workflows, going beyond image access to enable you to truly do your work wherever and whenever you want:
You can take your diagnostic workflow with you, using your own computer. Not just viewing images, but producing them, interpreting them with all the tools you need, collaborating on them, and making quality decisions around them, wherever you are. Your ability to work is no longer tied to the location of a workstation or client computer with the ‘right’ software on it.
Anyone who interacts with, produces, consumes or uses images can be empowered, with the same depth of workflow, use of artificial intelligence in workflows, etc. as from their in-hospital desktop computer or workstation.
Cloud-ready, gamer-equipped
Our FHIR-based web technology is a big step forward. We have built our web technology to take advantage of remote gaming technologies, which allow us to combine streaming and client technology in a way that delivers fluidity of interacting with the image.
To handle ‘lag’, we turned to the gamer world. As one radiologist expressed: “Think of me as a high-performance gamer. When I am trying to use my sword, I don’t want to miss out on killing the monster in the game because of click lag, latency or problems with internet connection.” So we put remote gaming technologies to work to deliver the fluidity needed for a comfortable, productive workflow.
Because it is cloud-ready, it can handle high or low latency and high or low bandwidth conditions, eliminating connectivity issues.
Introducing the remote cardiology workflow
As each diagnostic or clinical specialty has its own needs, we are approaching them individually. The first to be launched is cardiology. Cardiology is an image-intense, point-of-care specialty: the cardiologist goes wherever the care is needed. But to work with images, create reports, collaborate with colleagues, the cardiologist needed to find an appropriate workstation.
With our web technology for the remote diagnostic imaging workflow, the cardiologist can do all that from any computer. A barrier to mobility has been brought down, delivering deeper, intelligent workflows, accessible anywhere.
But while cardiology is the first launched, it most certainly won’t be the last! For each type of diagnostic or clinical specialist, we are either building toolsets, or enabling the integration of third-party capabilities. So we can offer a rich functionality to meet departmental needs.
Plug-and-play, no migration
Because our web technology is added as a layer on top of your Enterprise Imaging platform, there is no transition plan needed, no data or images to migrate. The technology is modular, so you can choose which functionalities you want to add, and for which departments or specialties.
But you can give each department or individual the flexibility to work the way they want. Perhaps one person or department prefers to always use the client computer. Another may enthusiastically embrace using the web technology for the entire diagnostic workflow at all times. Another clinician may want to do diagnostic reporting tasks on the client computer in the hospital, but finish them at home using the web technology. A fourth may use the web technology only for looking at images remotely…
And you can even mix-and-match between users: one user can start reading a study at the hospital on a client computer, and a colleague can take over and complete the report at home, using the web technology.
We’ve all known for some time that the future requires more flexibility in mobile and remote working. The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on both the need for flexible, hybrid work environments, and on the technologies already available. With our innovative web technology enabling true remote diagnostic imaging workflows, we deliver.
This true remote diagnostic imaging workflow is one of the innovations introduced at RSNA 2021.
For the full suite of technology innovations in Enterprise Imaging and more expert insights, access the 6 Virtual Lectures:
- Enterprise Imaging 8.2. – Innovation in the new release – Access here
- Augmented Intelligence – Embedding AI into Clinical Programs to Improve Diagnostic Intelligence – Access here
- Cloud and VNA – Learn how to easily incorporate Cloud into your Imaging Strategy – Access here
- Integration of Enterprise Imaging and Microsoft Teams – Access here
- Redefining Radiology – Findings of Frost & Sullivan Research Paper – Access here
- UK & Ireland Special Lecture – Integrated Care Systems (ICS) for Health Delivery in the UK and Ireland – Access here